Then & Now ?

(Thoughts sparked upon encountering the elitism of several “Saints.”)

Once upon a time, “IF” was an important, critical word. There are 2,670 uses of it in the Standard Works. To get a flavor of its purpose, in those olden days, one cannot do much better than to read Old Testament Deuteronomy, chapter 28, (with a side-helping below  at *).

But as usual, God’s chosen¹ people keep getting confused. They keep embracing the ways of the world and thinking:

▪ that chosen means chosen for prosperity, abundance, and favour, whatever the degree of obedience;
▪ that “success” is an irrefutable sign of God’s approval;
▪ that money is the fruit of God’s favour;
▪ that God’s people can cheerfully face the future with faith and hope,² even when disparaging all the non-“saints” and blaming others for all the evil, despicable things of the world;
▪ that Membership with a modicum of outward performance will be sufficient for exaltation.

Why is it, with all the witness of the past, we seem to think God’s condemning finger is aimed at the “wicked” gentiles and heathens when that Finger has perpetually been pointed squarely (déjà vu upon déjà vu) at those who have been chosen to carry out and to witness of His works (works of justice, goodness, truth, love, and beauty), and who fail miserably to do so?

What IF Moses, Isaiah, Enos, Mormon, Moroni (and all the others) have a message for us in the here and now?

The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways. (Old Testament Deuteronomy 28:9)

Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing. And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies—because of the praise of the world? Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not? Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads? Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer. (Book of Mormon Mormon 8:35-41)

For even yet the kingdom is yours, and shall be forever, if you fall not from your steadfastness. Even so. Amen. (Doctrine and Covenants Section 82:24)

What IF God’s saints³ include all who witness of His love, whether their affiliation is Mormon, Catholic, Protestant, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, or of a hundred other faiths? What IF His saints are all those who live for His glory (not for some coveted prosperity); or all those who follow the promptings of His spirit even against the dictates of culture, family, friends, churches, etc.?

What IF Rameumptom (Book of Mormon Alma 31:12-25) is a latter déjà vu?

http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm/ref/collection/dialogue/id/23236
("What’s a Rameumpto[m], Daddy?" by Robert Nelson, Jr. (Dialogue, Winter 1989, Letters.)

What IF elitism is the twin of hypocrisy?

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* A Small Side-helping of Warnings to "Saints":
   (All bold emphasis below has been added.)
Do ye suppose that our fathers would have been more choice than they if they had been righteous?  I say unto you, Nay. (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 17:34)

AND now behold, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you; for I, Nephi, would not suffer that ye should suppose that ye are more righteous than the Gentiles shall be.  For behold, except ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall all likewise perish; and because of the words which have been spoken ye need not suppose that the Gentiles are utterly destroyed. For behold, I say unto you that as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord; and as many of the Jews as will not repent shall be cast off; for the Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel. (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 30:1-2)

And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction. And after this manner do I write concerning them. (Book of Mormon Enos 1:23)

For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him. (Doctrine and Covenants Section 3:4)

And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God. (Doctrine and Covenants Section 14:7)

For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; (Doctrine and Covenants Section 19:16-17)

A revelation I give unto you concerning my will; and if thou art faithful and walk in the paths of virtue before me, I will preserve thy life, and thou shalt receive an inheritance in Zion. ... Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive. And except thou do this, where I am you cannot come. And verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my voice unto all. Amen. (Doctrine and Covenants Section 25:2, 15-16)

And they who are of the High Priesthood, whose names are not found written in the book of the law, or that are found to have apostatized, or to have been cut off from the church, as well as the lesser priesthood, or the members, in that day shall not find an inheritance among the saints of the Most High; (Doctrine and Covenants Section 85:11)

But behold, verily I say unto you, that there are many who have been ordained among you, whom I have called but few of them are chosen. They who are not chosen have sinned a very grievous sin, in that they are walking in darkness at noon–day. ... If you keep not my commandments, the love of the Father shall not continue with you, therefore you shall walk in darkness. (Doctrine and Covenants Section 95:5-6, 12)

Behold, I say unto you, were it not for the transgressions of my people, speaking concerning the church and not individuals, they might have been redeemed even now. But behold, they have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them; And are not united according to the union required by the law of the celestial kingdom; And Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself. And my people must needs be chastened until they learn obedience, if it must needs be, by the things which they suffer. ... But the strength of mine house have not hearkened unto my words. But inasmuch as there are those who have hearkened unto my words, I have prepared a blessing and an endowment for them, if they continue faithful. (Doctrine and Covenants Section 105:2-6, 17-18)

For behold, the Lord saw that his people began to work in darkness, yea, work secret murders and abominations; therefore the Lord said, if they did not repent they should be destroyed from off the face of the earth. (Book of Mormon Alma 37:22)

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1. The category of the chosen seems to expand as God adds more groups, over the passage of time, hoping that some remnant, somewhere, is going to actually figure out what chosen means and then DO the works of the chosen.
2. Whatever happened to charity? As to faith, I suspect it doesn't mean faith in our own goodness, favour, chosenness, high-ranking, or entitlement to prosperity.
3. With the proviso that God's saints obey His voice in whatever He requires as they progress, line upon line, precept upon precept; and will fulfill all the laws and ordinances that are eventually required of them to inherit God's promises and kingdom. Doctrine and Covenants Section 93:1 ~ VERILY, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;